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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fall — the season
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bat — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chip — to eat
  18. staff — a stick
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. staff — employees
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bat — in an idiom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com